ISOS - Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites

Welcome to the ISOS homepage!

Le Locle NE

The Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS) was developed on the basis of Article 5 of the Federal Act of 1 July 1966 on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage (NCHA; SR 451). This requires the Federal Council, after consultation with the cantons, to draw up inventories of sites of national importance. The ISOS is not exhaustive. It must be reviewed and updated at regular intervals. Decisions on the inclusion, revision or deletion of sites are taken by the Federal Council.

The ISOS currently lists 1274 sites, in most cases permanent settlements of at least ten main buildings which are marked on the first edition of the Siegfried map (topographical map of Switzerland) and appear with a place name on the map of Switzerland. The Federal Inventory provides comparable site records for the whole of Switzerland and can be coordinated with other inventories. The ISOS is a unique national inventory of heritage sites.

This website provides extensive information on the ISOS: The ISOS in brief explains how sites are defined as well as the extent and details of the inventory, and the legal bases of the inventory system and the liability are described in the Legal Framework.

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